Comparative study of the color pattern evolution in three reef fish families

Coral reefs and associated coastal environments host one of the most colorful and diverse teleost assemblages. The large diversity of habitats, the high species richness, and the variability in light found in such ecosystems make them an evolutionary powerhouse of color patterns in teleosts. To date, the great majority of studies focusing on color pattern evolution in fishes only include few species or families exclusively associated to coral reefs. However, some marine fish families have evolved in multiple environments, including coral reefs, meadows, mangroves and sand blanks. Here, we aimed to explore the evolution of color patterns among three marine fish families: the angelfishes (Pomacanthidae), living strictly in coral reefs, as well as the goatfishes (Mullidae) and the snappers (Lutjanidae), which occupy both reefs and adjacent areas. To do so, we compiled data from respectively 53, 63 and 74 species by coding the presence/absence of specific markings (e.g. vertical strips, eyespot) on the three main body regions: head, trunk and caudal region (peduncle and fin). We summarized the diversity of color pattern in each fish family by using Principal Coordinates Analyses (PCoA) and we applied various phylogenetic analyses to compare the mode of color pattern evolution among the three families. The multivariate phylogenetic signal was low for all families (Blomberg’s K<0.15), suggesting a great evolvability of color pattern. Disparity through time plots (DTT) strengthened these results by revealing many convergences in color patterns. These preliminary results support that the mode of color pattern evolution would not differ between strictly-associated reef fish families and fish families living in coral reefs and adjacent habitats.